


Warmer By Your Side

by foldingcranes



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, Original Character(s), Pre-Canon, Pre-SEP Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-27
Updated: 2017-08-27
Packaged: 2018-12-20 13:25:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11921838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foldingcranes/pseuds/foldingcranes
Summary: “Look,” Gabriel begins to explain. “My family does this… thing every year for New Years—they host a dancing contest for the whole clan and shit. And the winning couple gets a fancy date entirely paid by the losers.”A silly grin breaks through Jack’s face and now he’s propped up on his elbow, staring at Gabriel with amusement. “Does this have to do with that new fancy Thai restaurant you want to try back in L.A?”(In which Gabriel needs a dancing partner and Jack is hopelessly smitten.)





	Warmer By Your Side

**Author's Note:**

  * For [shanablackrx](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shanablackrx/gifts).



> HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SHANA!!! Thank you for being such a lovely friend! I hope you enjoy this tiny fic that caters to all your terribly fluffy needs <3!!
> 
> (Thank you Kate, for beta reading this disaster and keeping me sane <3.)

Gabriel is stuffing his duffel bag, packing everything he owns and tidying up his side of the room when he gathers the courage to ask what he has been meaning to ask Jack for weeks now. “Where are you going during our leave?”

Jack is sitting on his bed and still hasn’t packed anything. He’s propped up on his elbows, an open book lying in front of him. Gabriel thinks he’s reading Faulkner, from what he remembers from the cover.

“I don’t really know… I guess I could go back to the farm, but my siblings are all doing their own thing and my aunt and her wife are going to be away on a trip…” Jack frowns a little, eyes still focused on the pages of his book. “Why?”

“Well. I was thinking… why don’t you come with me. To Los Angeles. I mean.” Gabriel coughs, hoping to fake a little casualness. Four months: that’s how long they have been together, and his family has been mercilessly asking to meet Jack since the day Gabriel accidentally blurted to one of his sisters that he had met someone at base.

Jack squints a little, the suspicious little shit. “… You want me to meet your family?”

“Yeah, I do. They’ve been bugging me about it, so…” A little annoyed at his own impatience, Gabriel entertains the possibility of Jack saying no. Jack not being as invested in this… thing they have as Gabriel is. Or maybe it’s just too soon for the ‘meeting your parents’ thing. Maybe he needs to tone it down a little. Play it cool. “… Aaand I need a favor.”

Jack sends him a look that all but says Ah, there it is. “Okay. Spit it out.”

“I need a dancing partner.” Gabriel sits on his own bed, arms folded over his chest, like he’s challenging Jack instead of inviting him.

“A dancing partner.” Jack repeats slowly, closing the book he was reading, now entirely focused on him. The way Jack’s full attention lands on him makes Gabriel squirm a little. Jack’s eyes have a way of making him exposed.

“Look,” Gabriel begins to explain. “My family does this… thing every year for New Years—they host a dancing contest for the whole clan and shit. And the winning couple gets a fancy date entirely paid by the losers.”

A silly grin breaks through Jack’s face and now he’s propped up on his elbow, staring at Gabriel with amusement. “Does this have to do with that new fancy Thai restaurant you want to try back in L.A?”

Gabriel attempts to look serious. It doesn’t work, “Maybe?” He says with a shit eating grin.

“Fine,” Jack hides a laugh. “I’ll go with you. Only because you asked so nicely, really,” he stands up and stops before Gabe to kiss his forehead. “I’d better start packing.”

 

* * *

 

  
“Okay, first thing you need to know: my siblings are spawn from hell. Jorge is kind of invisible, we never know what’s going on in his room--probably jerking off? He’s a teenager. He likes computers and gloomy corners. María José is a little shit, just like you, and she’ll stab you in the back for a piece of candy. And Valentina is the baby of the family and a weirdo, just like you also.” Gabriel explains while he drives, it’s early in the morning and the traffic is not that bad yet. They’ll be home faster than he thought.

“I’m glad I have so much in common with your sisters. Ecstatic. Relieved. Overcome with emotion.” Jack deadpans. His hair is messy and he looks grumpy. Even though he spent most of their road trip sleeping in his seat curled up into a ball like housecat, or playing shit music just to annoy Gabriel and keep him awake.

“Stop doing the robot thing, you ass,” Gabriel smacks him behind the head, laughing when Jack pouts grumpily at him in response. “You’ll fit right in, trust me. Just…don’t let them make you their servant or we’ll never get any training done.”

“You… are calling salsa dancing training,” Jack says, incredulous.

Gabriel keeps his eyes on the street, but still side eyes him a little.  “Jackie, this is a serious competition and we’re shit at dancing.” It’s not like he hasn’t tried to be better at dancing—growing up into a family full of people who love to dance will force you into a lot of ‘dancing situations’, after all. But Gabriel is uncoordinated and gets easily bored after the few seconds of the song, and hates that everyone is better than him. Hates it when things aren’t effortlessly.

Okay...so he may be a little bit competitive too.

“How do you know that? We’ve never gone dancing!” Jack complains, still grumpy. Gabriel wonders if feeding him would put him in a better mood.

“I just know it in my cold, rotten heart—and in the way you constantly bang your elbows on corners.”

“I don’t do that,” Jack mumbles. Gabriel grabs one of his arms during a red light and points at the bruises there.

“How did this happen, Morrison?” Gabriel asks, shaking Jack’s arm a little. Jack already has a sour look on him.

“Thank you for having so much faith in me. I’m moved.” Jack takes his arm away, looking out of the car’s window and staring at the L.A. streets, not as impressed as Gabriel hoped he would be. (Or just hiding how impressed he is very well.)

“You’re welcome, sweetcheeks.” He kisses Jack’s cheek when he’s distracted, grinning like an idiot.

Jack glares at him. “What did I do to deserve you?”

“I can only imagine,” Gabriel hums, stretching a little. Soon enough, he’s parking outside his family’s home, relieved to be finally there. “Aaand we are here. Put on your Good Boy face, boyscout.”

Jack blinks, staring at the house in front of them. “No, it’s too soon—you didn’t tell me we were this close!”

“Weren’t you paying attention to the streets?” Gabriel raises an eyebrow at him.

“I’ve never been to Los Angeles before!” Jack protests, looking a little a bit pale now.

“Stop freaking out, Jackie. Everything’s going to be fine.” Having finished parking, Gabriel unclips his seatbelt and opens the door, stretching his legs as soon as he gets out of the car. He goes to Jack’s side and opens his door too.

“I’m not freaking out.” Jack mumbles while unclipping his seatbelt.

“Really.” Gabriel snorts, offering a hand to Jack. Just as he thought, Jack’s all sweaty and cold.

“Really.” Jack lets Gabriel lead him to the front of the house, now looking a little bit green.

“You look like you’re about to puke.” Concerned, Gabriel wonders if they should go back to the car. Noise can be heard from inside the house, and a lot of movement. Gabriel knows his mother will soon notice them standing outside the front door like creeps. “C’mon, Jackie.”

“I don’t want to make a bad first impression.” Jack whines, but he seems to calm a little when Gabriel squeezes his hand.

“Why on earth would you make a bad first impression?” Gabriel knows that their relationship is pretty new, and that the circumstances in which they met aren’t that traditional, and that there are things about Jack that he’s still getting to know and understand inside the limited environment that their military camp offers to them. He still finds himself feeling surprised at seeing new sides of Jack. How can someone look so cocky after running a million laps and then be a nervous wreck in front of a front door?

“I’m just… you know…” Jack hides his face on Gabe’s shoulder. Very eloquent.

Gabriel rolls his eyes and pats him on the back. “I already warned my family you’re all aloof and stoic and manly. True American Beef.”

Laughing, Jack smacks him on the shoulder. “Geez, thank you. What a joy.”

“Just be yourself, okay? I promise they won’t hate you.”

“… Fine.” Jack does this thing where he stares a little too hard into Gabriel’s eyes, like he’s trying to decipher something that he didn’t expect to be offered to him. Then, he dares to kiss Gabriel softly on the lips, hesitantly. Like asking for permission.

It’s pretty cute.

But making out in front of your family home is not the best idea.

The door opens and there, in all her glory, his mother confusedly stares at them. “Gabi!”

Gabriel removes his traitorous hands from Jack’s butt and goes to hug her. “Hey, mom!”

“And you must be Jack—it’s so nice to finally meet you!” After keeping Gabriel in a bone crushing hug for a good while, she goes to hug Jack with the same amount of strength.

“Thank you, ma’am, the pleasure is all mine.” Jack says, flushing. He’s red to the tip of his ears and Gabriel kind of wants to devour him. Just a little. Enough to keep it PG.

“Well you’re as polite as Gabi described you. Call me Eloísa, Jack.” Eloísa smiles brightly at them and Gabriel feels himself melt a little when Jack does as he’s told.

“Okay, enough of that. You’re going to make him die of embarrassment. He’s a little bit shy.” Jack shoots him a grateful look, and Gabriel grins and ruffles his hair with the exact purpose of embarrassing him further. He’s even redder now.

Eloísa laughs at them, rolling her eyes at Gabriel. “Gabriel, my little Hamlet, everyone is shy next to you. You’re just that flamboyant.”

Jack doesn’t even try to hide his shit eating grin. “Gabriel does have a larger than life personality.”

“You… you traitor.” Gabriel slaps a hand over his chest, feigning shock.

“Very dramatic, too.” Jack keeps going on, if only to amuse Gabriel’s mother. She’s obviously delighted.

“Betrayed by my own boyfriend.” Gabriel fakes a pout, and Jack pats him on the back.

  
“Stop being a baby and come say hello to your family,” Eloísa grabs their hands, still smiling, and guides them inside the house.

It’s good to be home, Gabriel thinks, stealing a look at Jack’s flushed face. It’s even better now.

 

* * *

 

  
Gabriel grumbles a little at the computer, until he finds the video tutorials he needs. “Let’s get this show started, okay?”

Jack nods, sitting cross legged on the floor.

“Our biggest rivals will be my cousin Bea and her boyfriend. Bea is a crappy dancer, she wouldn’t know rhythm if it hit her in the face. Or someone got her enchanted dancing shoes. But his boyfriend is a professional dancer and he. Kicks. Ass.”

Jack nods again to let Gabriel know that he’s following.

“Are you ready for a Youtube playlist of fifty salsa videos?” Gabriel puts the computer on top of a stool at the center of the room so they can watch the tutorials.

Jack sighs, a little nervous. “No?”

Gabriel gleefully smiles. “Too bad!”

The music starts playing, and Gabriel grabs him by the waist with an eye seemingly fixed on the computer screen and the other on their feet.

“Step one says we gotta listen to the beat,” Gabriel says in a very serious voice, glaring at Jack when he sees him holding back laughter. “What? We’re following a tutorial for beginners, blondie.”

Jack sighs, not even knowing what to with his hands, apparently. He’s just… awkwardly standing there, like a sexy lamp.

This is going to be harder than Gabriel thought.

 

  
**[DAY 1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toLrTToaN0M) **

 

Hands clasped together, chests and hips pressed close, they’ve been attempting to do part of a very basic choreography for almost ten minutes. Gabriel squints at Jack’s flushed face, noticing how unfocused he is. “Do you actually have a boner?”

“Um.” Jack visibly gulps. “Our hips are pressed really close together.”

“Yeah, okay, the flesh is weak.” Letting out a relieved sigh, Gabriel runs his hands down to Jack’s waist and kisses him. Jack perks up immediately, sucking on Gabriel’s lower lip happily. “Listen, I’m uh...getting hard too. Maybe we should… take a break.”

Jack is kissing his neck now. “A sex break.”

“A sex break.” Gabriel agrees, letting Jack pull him towards the nearest surface.

They can go back to the dancing thing later.

(Much later.)

 

  
**[DAY 2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbajp0zS3Pk) **

  
“I can’t believe you dropped me!” Jack growls, still on the floor. He’s rubbing his backside like an old man.

Gabriel raises his hands up in the air and shrugs exaggeratedly. “Well, you wanted me to show you how to dip someone!”

“Yeah, and you did a really good job!” Jack snorts, unamused. “From now on, I’ll be the one dipping you. And that’s final.”

“Don’t you dare drop me in revenge.” Gabriel hisses, pointing an accusing finger at Jack.

“Watch your back, Reyes.” Jack grunts, still looking like a grumpy cat, and avoiding the hand Gabriel offers him to help him stand up.

(He ends up dropping Gabriel twice.)

 

  
**[DAY 3](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-H9UvPvs9ZM) **

  
"Is Valentina making Jack braid her hair again?" Eloísa asks, amused. Gabriel lets out a chuckle, stealing a look at the living room, where his sister and Jack sit on the rug, sternly focused on their braiding session.

"Yeah, he's going to give her Princess Leia's buns if she isn't careful.”

"Oh," Eloísa smiles. "A Star Wars fan?"

"Mom, Jack is the biggest Star Wars nerd, ever. Hear this: when he was a kid he wanted Princess Leia to be his mother."

“Yeah, and we all know who you wanted to be your dad in Star Trek,” María José interrupts, entering the kitchen in a rush to grab an apple before going out with her friends. “Ohhhhh, Captain James Kirk. So manly! So cool!”

“Shut up, Coté,” Gabriel tries to cover her mouth, but her sister and mother are already laughing at him.

María José smiles like the cat that got the cream.

“Just wait until I get some alone time with your boyfriend, Gabo.”

Gabriel pales.

 

**[DAY 4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqaVPWmwglQ) **

  
At dinner, Federico and Eloísa cook an entire feast in anticipation of the big family reunion. Gabriel’s dad is a quiet man, patient and kind. He makes a lot of dad jokes and smokes a pipe, which Jack finds endearing.

“And how’s your choreography going, boys?” Federico asks. Gabriel elbows Jack in the side before he can say anything. Jack shoots him a confused glance but stays silent. “Because your mom and I are polishing our best moves, Gabo.”

His dad winks.

Gabriel answers him, “We’re doing great.” He’s cutting his food with a little bit more force than it’s required, and trying to avoid thinking about all the times that Jack and he stepped on each other’s toes that morning. “See, we’re like a good oiled machine. Highly skilled individuals working together, moving like one entity.”

He points at Jack with his fork, to his mother’s disapproval. “Jackie is really obedient, too. He’s a good little soldier so he knows how to follow orders.”

Jack laughs, playing along. “True.”

“Give me your hand, Jackie.” Feeling cheeky, Gabriel holds his open palm in front of Jack, and Jack clasps his hand firmly. “Highly obedient. A skilled soldier. A killing machine.”

Jack is struggling not to laugh, while everyone at the table is groaning at Gabriel’s antics.

“A weapon to surpass Metal Gear.” Jorge deadpans, completely uninterested in the whole conversation.

 

  
**[DAY 5](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZwqoyK5aPE) **

  
Gabriel wakes up alone in bed.

His whole body is sore after five days of nonstop dancing. An amazing feat, considering the hell that is going through military basic training. Stretching, he looks at the hour and frowns when he notices how early it is. He puts on some paints and a shirt and decides to go looking for Jack, with a short detour towards the kitchen first. There’s no way he’s starting the day without at least two cups of coffee.

By the time Gabriel reaches the kitchen, he’s surprised to hear Jack and his mom talking. He stands in the hallway, wondering if he should just enter and do his thing, but they seem to be deep in conversation.

“I’m glad my son met you, Jack,” He hears his mother whisper. Her voice is soft, as if she were afraid of waking up the rest of the house. “I know you’re both preparing yourselves for war, and I think I’m never going to fully understand why my son chose such difficult path in life. But I’m glad he has you by his side. It’s good to know he has someone looking out for him. Someone who loves him.”

Gabriel holds his breath. The last sentence was said carefully, set as a test.

There’s a pause and, for a moment, Gabriel thinks the conversation is over—

“I think,” Jack speaks, soft with sleep, voice hoarse and small. “I’m the lucky one, no one’s ever—no one’s ever cared for me the way Gabriel does. I want to be Gabriel’s for as long as he’ll have me.”

Gabriel doesn’t hear anything more after that. There’s a lump slowly settling inside his throat, choking him, and the sting of tears in his eyes.

 

* * *

 

  
They lose the silly dancing contest that night, Gabriel’s parents being the winners of that year. He can’t even bring himself to be mad, not after performing the most uncomfortable and poorly coordinated salsa choreography of his entire life. His cousin’s boyfriend cringed during the whole thing, and Jack forced Gabriel to spin more than necessary just to spite the poor guy.

It’s been a wild week and even wilder night and it feels good to just slow dance to the sweet tunes of a bolero with the rest of the tired couples in Gabriel’s family. Jack’s head is a comforting weight on his shoulder and his arms around Gabriel’s waist keep him warm. He can see his sisters giggling at them out of the corner of his eye, but he doesn’t bother to call them off, kissing Jack’s messy hair and resting his cheek there.

“Had fun?”

Jack nods. Gabriel chuckles at his silent reply, “Cat got your tongue?”

Jack raises his head and smiles at him. It’s a small thing, a little crooked and silly. It’s so very _Jack_ it makes Gabriel’s heart ache. “I’m happy you invited me.”

“I’m happy you agreed to come,” Gabriel says, pressing his forehead against Jack’s.

“Well,” Jack laughs a little. “You needed a dancing partner.”

“You didn’t have to enable me,” He snorts, before Jack shuts him up with a kiss.

“Shut up, Gabe.” Jack kisses Gabriel’s jaw now, and he feels like a teenager. There are butterflies dancing inside his stomach. “Let’s agree on being happy we’re both here.”

Finding Jack’s mouth again, under the lowlights of his family’s backyard, Gabriel presses a smile against his boyfriend’s lips. “Whatever you say, Sunshine.”

**Author's Note:**

> You can thank @nikorys for 90% of the salsa songs featured in this fic. THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR HOUSE CLEANING PLAYLIST WITH ME, SWEETHEART.


End file.
